Zvezda Avenger-Class ISD-II - WIP

[INVAR]

Well Roy, the light that burns twice as bright, burns half as long - or in Zvezda-speak burns through holes half the size. If you are trying to be in scale, using a micro-drill bit at .30mm - you run the risk of drilling though the sheet template and messing up the alignment anyway - or breaking more micro-bits than you are going to break just through the plastic itself.

I had to eyeball mine - and try starter holes with using the finest tip of an exacto blade to set up alignment before coming in with the drill. Not perfect, but then even the ILM filming model did not have perfectly symmetrical holes drilled into it.

I say you can try that approach - but if I had a template in that scale where the holes were .25 mm, I might just use a fine tip marker through the holes to mark where my bit was to go.

 

[Haui]

I used a dremel with 0,25mm Drill. Oh yes i broke arout 10 of them but when you buy them in china they a very cheap. 10 Pieces about 4 Euro

 

[Guns Akimbo]

I marked them w/a fine-tip felt pen and pricked starter holes with a large needle.

 

[Roy Batty]

Thank you, folks. I appreciate this!

 

[INVAR]

Final Greeblies on the Bridge Conning tower:



Next up - gluing the bow hull separations of the top and bottom, light blocking the interior and drilling engine holes, connecting the Falcon 3D engine bells, adding the tiny piping greeblies to the engines and then.... PRIMING, followed by endless hours of fiber and then getting the LEDs and electronics for the engine sections prepared. Starting to see some progress.

 

[INVAR]

Added Falcon 3D's Domes.

 

[INVAR]

Finishing greebs on the back engine section as I get ready to mount the engine block on the back of the bottom hull. Since I raised the side trench walls 1.5 mm, I have a gap problem for the back engine and was originally looking at this problem with the idea of placing .75mm strips top and bottom to snuggle the engine block to meet the top and bottom hull sections. Unfortunately I had no .75mm styrene on hand and none to order online that would not take 6-8 weeks, and attempting to cut uniform strips in the length I needed them was.... frustrating, and I abandoned the idea in favor of placing the same 1.5mm strips along the bottom hull plating and greebling up the section to match the ILM 8 footer. This will make the top hull section flush with the engine block as the kit model instructions designed, and only leaves me with a slightly raised bottom engine block off the bottom hull piece.

So after setting that and greebling them up, I took my First Step into a Larger World.

The need to drill out the engine block holes for the engine LEDs created an engineering decision as to how I planned to set the LEDs. I saw several Masters insert the LED bulbs into brass tubing and place into the holes so the lights can be pushed in or out depending on how they wanted the light to bounce off the inside of the engine bells. Because I ordered 5mm cool white lights for the mains - after some evaluation - I opted to go with gluing rubber gaskets onto the engine hull and inserting the 5mm lLED bulbs directly into the gasket. This will allow me to change out the bulbs easily if I ever need to in the future. And, on first lighting of the LED, I can say I am pleased with what I saw.

 

[gedmac66]

The amazing and intricately added details you’ve painstakingly lavished onto the basic kit is..., stunningly brilliant mate.
I’m wondering (fingers crossed) , if you’d consider taking additional photos of this build (all areas) prior to priming/painting , so people like myself (kit waiting on shelf) could possibly attempt - to a lesser degree of course, emulating simply outstanding work.
Asking cause it’d be extremely helpful if we could see what & where some of the added detail (untouched styrene) should be found on the ship.

Ged

 

[korben44]

Beautiful, as always! Hurry up and get some paint on that Destroyer!

 

[INVAR]

I’m wondering (fingers crossed) , if you’d consider taking additional photos of this build (all areas) prior to priming/painting , so people like myself (kit waiting on shelf) could possibly attempt - to a lesser degree of course, emulating simply outstanding work.
Asking cause it’d be extremely helpful if we could see what & where some of the added detail (untouched styrene) should be found on the ship.

Consider it done Ged. Will do as you request once I get the rest of the major sections built or glued together, then I will dry-fit the hull sections/tower and do a pictorial before I prime so everyone can see all the white styrene/brass PE additions on the build. I will likely take pics of the engine section without the Falcon 3D engine bells attached because I will prime those separately before gluing those on as I think priming the engine block before I put the bells on would be wise.

After that I will prime and light block before starting on the electronics placement and prepping for endless fiber running through a thousand holes.

 

[Analyzer]

The need to drill out the engine block holes for the engine LEDs created an engineering decision as to how I planned to set the LEDs. I saw several Masters insert the LED bulbs into brass tubing and place into the holes so the lights can be pushed in or out depending on how they wanted the light to bounce off the inside of the engine bells. Because I ordered 5mm cool white lights for the mains - after some evaluation - I opted to go with gluing rubber gaskets onto the engine hull and inserting the 5mm lLED bulbs directly into the gasket. This will allow me to change out the bulbs easily if I ever need to in the future. And, on first lighting of the LED, I can say I am pleased with what I saw.

View attachment 991606 View attachment 991607 View attachment 991608

That's a great idea!

 

[gedmac66]

Consider it done Ged. Will do as you request once I get the rest of the major sections built or glued together, then I will dry-fit the hull sections/tower and do a pictorial before I prime so everyone can see all the white styrene/brass PE additions on the build. I will likely take pics of the engine section without the Falcon 3D engine bells attached because I will prime those separately before gluing those on as I think priming the engine block before I put the bells on would be wise.

After that I will prime and light block before starting on the electronics placement and prepping for endless fiber running through a thousand holes.

Thank you Invar . The supplemental photos will certainly act (if they haven’t already !) not only as inspiration , but as an invaluable detailed - reference source too !

 

[gt350pony66]

Well I don't know everything...obviously, but it's my belief that our friend and mentor Invar is creating THE, premiere upgraded and accurate ISD!

 

[INVAR]

Well I don't know everything...obviously, but it's my belief that our friend and mentor Invar is creating THE, premiere upgraded and accurate ISD!

Whoah cowboy! My build is not THAT accurate. It's approximated at best and a lot of license was taken because the Zvezda base plastic is highly inaccurate to the ILM 8 footer. The geometry of the trenches and their narrowness, the engine block and wedding cake greebs that are on the kit in many instance prohibited me from getting as accurate as I got on some parts.

I had to take a lot of license but what I tried to do was make sure prominent greeblies on the ILM model were present somewhere in the general vicinity of where they might be located on the Zvezda. So, this is no rivet counting build I assure you. It's approximated, which is the best I could do with the limited skill sets I have.

I have already made a major mistake attempting to correct the bridge angle using the neck itself that was a ridiculously tight fit on the port side with a major gap on the other. Not sure why at all, but in fixing it - the angle is not going to be where I wanted it to be - but it is not as perpendicular to the trench as it was intended to be in the kit. Oh well.

I'm currently staring at it for long periods of time to decide how and where to be able to open it up to change batteries and LEDs if needed. After my initial attempt, I changed my mind as to location of battery pack and where LEDs will stream from as I forgot I have a remote control sensor that also has to plug into the battery pack - so I am moving the cradle and power source to just under the tower.



I ended up opting for making the very top roof under the bridge, magnetic with an added lip for secure fitting and light blocking that I can pull up for maintenance if needed.

 

[thebeans]

Stunning, details are off the chian!

 

[gt350pony66]

Whoah cowboy! My build is not THAT accurate. It's approximated at best and a lot of license was taken because the Zvezda base plastic is highly inaccurate to the ILM 8 footer. The geometry of the trenches and their narrowness, the engine block and wedding cake greebs that are on the kit in many instance prohibited me from getting as accurate as I got on some parts.

I had to take a lot of license but what I tried to do was make sure prominent greeblies on the ILM model were present somewhere in the general vicinity of where they might be located on the Zvezda. So, this is no rivet counting build I assure you. It's approximated, which is the best I could do with the limited skill sets I have.

I have already made a major mistake attempting to correct the bridge angle using the neck itself that was a ridiculously tight fit on the port side with a major gap on the other. Not sure why at all, but in fixing it - the angle is not going to be where I wanted it to be - but it is not as perpendicular to the trench as it was intended to be in the kit. Oh well.

I'm currently staring at it for long periods of time to decide how and where to be able to open it up to change batteries and LEDs if needed. After my initial attempt, I changed my mind as to location of battery pack and where LEDs will stream from as I forgot I have a remote control sensor that also has to plug into the battery pack - so I am moving the cradle and power source to just under the tower.

View attachment 992307 View attachment 992310View attachment 992311View attachment 992309View attachment 992308View attachment 992312

I ended up opting for making the very top roof under the bridge, magnetic with an added lip for secure fitting and light blocking that I can pull up for maintenance if needed.

Mike,

Yes, Omnius is out there doing the same as you with his...but we're friends and I think yours will be the standard to which other ISD builders will strive for. Take the comp, you've earned it

 

[Guns Akimbo]

I'm currently staring at it for long periods of time to decide how and where to be able to open it up to change batteries and LEDs if needed.

Magnetically attached wedding cake? That's the plan for mine, when/if I ever complete it...

 

[INVAR]

Magnetically attached wedding cake? That's the plan for mine, when/if I ever complete it...

Just the lid roofs on the very top portion of the cake will be inserted via inner channels and magnets. I was toying with just using magnets for the upper level cake section where the neck is attached, but that was not going to work because the gaps to the base would not have been overcome by magnets, and I know this because I tried it in dry-fit. It was necessary to glue down the neck and the cake to the upper hull, in addition to the issues of improper angle for the bridge tower that I could not properly rectify without major surgery which I decided against.

So, the top lid right under the bridge tower is the access panel to the LEDs, remote and battery pack. Right now it snaps snugly into place but there is some slight bowing in the middle that I hope the magnets will flatten. I glued an inner channel rider that fits snug inside the opening that will hide any light gaps or seam.



I'm no engineer by any stretch but I have been staring at this thing trying to determine solutions to several problems in the electronics dept. Figuring out how to assemble the final pieces is easy compared to the head-scratching of where I'm going to place all the LEDs and fiber tubes, not to mention trench floods, landing bay floods and remote sensor.

 

[Escape068]

Awesome build!!!

I was able to detach the whole cake section with the tower with 4 magnets and it fits very snug.

Easy access to components and most LEDs

 

[INVAR]

Awesome build!!!

I was able to detach the whole cake section with the tower with 4 magnets and it fits very snug.

Easy access to components and most LEDs

View attachment 993749

Oh cool! I see what you did to enable that to happen with that rear base plate creation where the tower spine meets the top back hull. I had't done that, and on studying yours - I am not sure that I would have given the way the ILM reference has the back neck section seated flush to the base hull and I tried to stay true to that after I did the greeblies on the back neck section.

However, your solution likely eliminated several of the major problems I ended up encountering in doing this section, which at first I was hoping would be similar to yours - but - was way worse when dry-fitting as the bottom rear spine below the garbage chute wild not set on the base hull at all and left a gap of almost an eighth inch between the hull and the bottom of the neck. You can still see in the bottom shot that I have some filling and sanding to do as a result.